Meet Robin Hood's New Marian

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We talk to actress Lucy Griffiths about tight leather outfits, fighting crime, and squabbling lovers, on the new version of Robin Hood.

By Eric Goldman

This week sees the US launch of the new Robin Hood series on BBC America. Newcomers Jonas Armstrong and Lucy Griffiths star as the iconic characters Robin and Marian, on a series that portrays quite a rift between the famous lovers, even as both fight for what's right against the will of the Sherriff of Nottingham (Keith Allen). In fact, in this version, Marian really gets in on the action, and proves just as adept as Robin when it comes to physically taking on the bad guys. Griffiths recently accompanied Armstrong and the producers of Robin Hood to Los Angeles to promote Robin Hood's debut in America, and I was able to speak to her for an exclusive chat with IGN. The 20-year-old British actress told me this was actually her very first time in the US, before we sat down to talk about her rising career and how she came to play Marian.

IGN TV: Before Robin Hood, you had a few television credits, but you'd mostly done stage work, right? Lucy Griffiths: Yes. And of my television credits, one of them was a two second appearance, which I got told about the day before! And another one was sort of a guest lead on a series which is popular in England. I don't know if you have it over here; it's called The Sea of Souls. I played an evil demon goddess, so it was very different from Marian! But yeah, I'd mostly done [stage] shows. IGN TV: How long have you been acting?Griffiths: Well, professionally, I did a couple of operas when I was in school, when I was 18. Not professionally, since I was 11. IGN TV: Operas? So I take it your background is in singing?Griffiths: To start with, yeah. I was in the children's chorus. I wasn't the lead. [Laughs] I mostly did musicals and concerts when I was younger, and then I realized I don't quite have the voice for it, so I went into acting, which I enjoy more.

Lucy Griffiths as Marian in BBC America's Robin Hood

IGN TV: Well hey, there is a resurgence in movie musicals lately.Griffiths: There is! And yeah, I'd love to have a look at some of those if I ever got the chance. It would have to be the right project. IGN TV: How's the transition been for you going from stage to television work?Griffiths: Fine. I mean the complaint with me being on stage was always that I was slightly too naturalistic and not projecting enough. I've got quite a soft voice, so that didn't help. So going to screen [acting] kind of seemed like the natural thing to do, and I had a few people say, "I think you can do that, because you're quite small anyway." I had to tweak a few things, and there were definitely sort of angles which you need to avoid and things in your speech which you need to kind of tweak to make yourself clearer. But it fell into place quite nicely, I hope. You be the judge of that! [Laughs]IGN TV: Here in America, we hear a lot about what a huge process actors go through auditioning and testing for a lead role on a TV show. What was it like for you and Robin Hood?Griffiths: Well I had four auditions in London. I live about an hour away and I was actually in another play at the time, so my saving grace really was the director allowed me time off from rehearsals to go to auditions. It stretched over a period of&#Array; My first audition was at the end of November, and I found out [I was cast] at the beginning of March, 2006. It was one of those where I really wanted it, and every night I'd think, "I really want this!" But then I actually forgot about it, and stopped thinking about it, because it didn't seem real that it would take me so bloody long! [Laughs] I didn't think it would happen. IGN TV: What was your reaction when you found out you got the job?Griffiths: Speechless. It's a cliché, but I really was like [mimics holding phone], "Okay&#Array; Thanks&#Array;" And it was really when I spoke to my mom that I kind of went, "OH MY GOD! I'm gonna be on the tele!" IGN TV: How would you describe your version of Marian?Griffiths: She'd modern. She's very feisty, and I suppose kick ass, if you want to use that expression. Marian's always been a strong character, but my Marian in particular is quite cold for a lot of it, and that's because she's&#Array; Well, I thought of it that she's essentially in love with somebody that she can't have, as far as she can see. And I think that would make a lot of people cold, especially towards the person in question, because there's kind of a bitterness related to that person, even though you're really in love with them. So she's kind of quite cold throughout the whole thing. And also, she's got Guy of Gisborne to contend with, who is the sheriff's right hand man, and who wants to marry her, basically. She's constantly trying to think, "Well, it's the right thing to do to marry him. It's what I should do. But I don't love him." It's kind of a battle there, so she's quite troubled. And she does do a lot of physical fighting as well, especially in the later episodes.